The Big Read 2016

CHARLES PORTIS'

Flash Fiction Contest

If You Like The Giver

The Book

In the dystopian society of The Giver, Jonas is assigned to be the receiver of memories shared by only one other in his community — the Giver — and soon discovers the terrible truth about the society in which he lives.

The Giver of those memories tells Jonas, "... There's much more. There's all that goes beyond — all that is Elsewhere — and all that goes back, and back, and back. I received all of those, when I was selected. And here in this room, all alone, I re-experience them again and again. It is how wisdom comes. And how we shape our future."

The Author

Lois Lowry is one of America's most popular and versatile children's and young adult book authors. She has written in a variety of fictional forms, from the WWII tale Number the Stars to lighthearted adventures of Anastasia Krupnik to the fantastical The Giver."She was born Lois Ann Hammersberg on March 20, 1937, in Honolulu, Hawaii. She was a shy, introverted child who loved to read and moved frequently with her family wherever her Army officer father was stationed. At age 19 she married a naval officer, moving their own family frequently for his career. She finished college in Maine in the early 70s and published her first novel, A Summer to Die, in 1977. She then showed her lighter side in 1979 with Anastasia Krupnik, which became the first in a series of humorous books. She won her first Newbery Award for the 1989 novel Number the Stars, and the second award in 1993 for The Giver. Her recent works include Son (2012) and Gooney Bird and All Her Charms (2013).

THANK YOU. The Library is grateful for the many partners and volunteers who support this project, including the Springfield Regional
Arts Council, Springfield Art Museum, Barnes & Noble, Missouri State University, History Museum on the Square, Moxie Cinema, The Coffee Ethic, Lindberg's and Patton Alley Pub.